


Monsters of Zephyria - A PoZ Fanfic

by Aneth_Stripes



Category: Original Work, Prince of Zephyria
Genre: Action/Adventure, Awkward Romance, Drama, Fantasy, Isekai, Multi, Original Character(s), Original Fiction, POV Original Character, Prince of Zephyria - Freeform, Teen Romance, This is dedicated to you bro
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-09
Updated: 2020-07-15
Packaged: 2021-02-28 22:35:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23074849
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aneth_Stripes/pseuds/Aneth_Stripes
Summary: The protagonist wakes and finds herself in a Isekai where royalty exists and most are gifted with the ability to manipulate an element.The knights see her as a threat and the villagers won't give her a break for being what she is: a monster of myth and lore. The only people she can put her trust in are the Zale Family; a royal family that rules over the country of Zephyria.But even that trust will be tested. Once she finds out that those she cares about are on the other side of the war, Tallulah must tread carefully before she loses everything she holds dear.Getting home, it seems, is the least of her problems.~Monsters of Zephyria is an attempted love letter to an original piece I hold close to my heart. This story is formatted in a way where the reader will see the point of view from many characters, so I apologize if it isn't pretty looking.Prince of Zephyria (created by @Amethyst_Prince ) is on Wattpad and has plenty of chapters (and characters) that will make you feel a range of emotions, so I implore you to check it out.
Relationships: Jenny Peterson/Klaus Zale, Tallulah Nadia/Kyoya Zale





	1. Chapter One

The surface below me didn't feel as soft as my pillows. It took me a moment to open my eyes, groaning softly as I sat up. The light from my window kept me from opening my eyes so I reached for the string to close the blinds. I couldn't feel it, cracking open my eyes and finding my window missing. Everything, as it turned out, was missing. My walls, windows, and doors were all replaced with a thick forest. 

I would have panicked, but something like this happened almost regularly for me. I sighed and rubbed my forehead, listening to the birds tweeting from above. "Damn...did you really have to come out this far?" No response, although that wasn't strange either. It always took her some time to finally talk back. 

I dismissed the quiet and stood up, patting down my blue jeans to see what I had with me. I felt my phone in my back pocket, a switchblade and my wallet in my left pocket and a small packet of gummies on my right. "Well...that's food, I guess." 

I wasn't going to eat it, but my stomach was surprisingly empty. 'Did I not find any kill last night?' I sighed and shook my head, pulling my phone out to find it was dead. While not surprising, it was definitely annoying. I sighed and raked my sharp fingers through my short brown curly hair, looking around a bit before sniffing the air. 

Ahhh, the air felt so fresh! But why? I must have run pretty far from home for the air to smell so crisp and good. I huffed and turned, glancing around for any tree that was hovering over most of the others, spotting it and approaching the tree. "Damnit, why'd you make me run this far?" 

I groaned and started climbing the tree, checking each branch before heaving myself upright. I climbed to the top of the tree without any hassle, looking over the branches to see if I could spot any buildings. 'Wha? None?' This...was a little unnerving. Where the hell did T take me? 

Frowning, I jumped off the tree, using small trees and their branches to swing me to the ground. The moment I landed I started to run, eyes darting everywhere in the hopes of catching a similar boulder or maybe a tree I've marked before. I didn't find anything, shuddering as I finally came to a stop. This didn't make any sense!

At least if T wanted to get away from the city, she'd take me somewhere close enough to spot or at least smell my way back. There wasn't any familiar scent hitting my nose and it worried me. What if she went farther out than she meant to? What then?

"Ugh," I grumbled, crossing my arms as I tapped my foot on the forest floor. "When you wake up, we are so having a talk about borders." I chewed the inside of my cheek and looked around again, considering making camp and preparing for nighttime when something caught my eye. 

There was a bundle of vines strung over a large boulder...only it wasn't a boulder. I noticed a faint draft push the vines apart a little. Against my senses, I got closer to them, pulling out my knife and slicing them off when I saw that it was poison ivy. There was a small space to fit through, easy for a short gal like me, but it seemed to lead...elsewhere. 

I looked around the boulder, raising eyebrows when I found it pressed against nothing; not a large tree or a part of a hill. It was completely empty! "Okay...weird portal thing in a boulder. Should I enter?" Now that was the question of the week. I stood before it, pondering for a few minutes if I should really enter it without knowing where it goes. 

This was some anime type crap, I knew that much. After taking a deep breath, I put my knife back in my pocket and crept inside the boulder. I had to duck my head to keep from hitting rocks, groaning a little bit when my arms scraped the sides of the rock. As I pushed through, the boulder eventually made way to a taller cave-like ceiling. I blinked and looked up, finding that I could stand upright and walk normally. I sighed and did as much, glancing around before having to duck out near what looked like the exit to the rather small cave. 

It made way to the sky, revealing thicker trees and a thin walkway that moved downhill. There were stairs to walk down, and the walkway was blocked by boulders and rocks that were moss covered. "Must've been down here a long time," I muttered, raking my fingers over the rocky wall. I walked down the trail carefully, keeping my left hand on the wall as I walked in fear that I'd trip. As I continued walking down the stairs, the back of my mind idly wondered if I could get back where I came. 

"Please don't magically disappear," I prayed silently, my hand absentmindedly moving to grip the necklace around my neck, rubbing the edges of the large tooth that hung off of the golden chain. 

Eventually I reached the bottom, finding that the trail continued to lead me through the forest. "Okay...this isn't weird and or terrifying at all." I followed the trail, eventually coming to a clearing. Evidently there was a cliff of sorts, causing me to brighten up and get closer. If there was a cliff, that meant I could maybe pinpoint where the hell I was. 

I moved closer to the edge and looked down to the landscape below, slumping hard and somehow stiffening at the same time. I didn't see a city, at least not the usual type. There were people, buildings, and all the usual crap one would see in a town. The only difference was I noticed a large castle among all the buildings.

'Are you KIDDING ME?' I took a step back, scanning the area further before groaning and gripping my hair. "What the hell, what the fuck, oh my god." I forced myself to take a deep breath and closed my eyes tightly. I then opened them again and slumped harder. There was no goddamn way I was stuck in an anime! 

"Okay, uh, maybe I can figure out which one," I said, staring at the castle harder. "Ugh, I can't figure it out! There's too many anime with a kingdom theme!" I pulled my hair a little more before sighing. "Well...I can't stay here." Well, I could if I wanted to, but the thought of buying a hotel room for the night sounded better. 

I left the cliff and looked around for a decent way to get into the city, kingdom, whatever they called themselves. I then settled for just going downhill, allowing force to pull me most of the way there. I took off, jumping and sprinting past rows and rows of trees. I had a run in with a mean branch or two but aside from that, my descent was easy and quick. Once gravity stopped helping me, I used pure speed to run toward what I thought might be the entrance of the town. 

The buildings looked sort of average, but the setting they had about them was what made me think I was in a kingdom more than an average city. I steadied my nerves as I approached the entrance, noticing the semi-large amount of guards patrolling the border. It occurred to me that I probably didn't have decent identification on me, but I pressed on regardless. 

Even if they turned me away, at least I'd know what this place was called.

"Um, excuse me?" I asked meekly, tensing up when a few of the guards turned to look at me. I approached one carefully, stopping at a respectful distance before saying, "Uh, I'm kind of lost. Can you tell me what this place is and where I am?"

One of the knights looked my way and said, "Lacido, ma'am."

I must have looked visibly confused because another one spoke up and said, "The capital of Zephyria?"

"Oh..." That answered only one of my questions; I was definitely not where I needed to be. I nodded and said, "Okay, thanks." I turned to leave down the road, but my shoulder was grabbed. "Can I help you?" I asked, turning my head to glance at the knight. 

"I'm sorry but I think you need to come with us," the female knight spoke. 

I blinked a few times and asked, "Why? I'm not entering the city, Sir." 

"Regardless of your intentions, your appearance is questionable. We saw you walk out the forest." I winced. Okay yeah that wasn't the smartest move. "Just come with us and you'll be on your way soon after." I glanced around, noting that there were about ten or so knights, all of them now actively looking my way. 

I could either fight them and run, or follow them in. I didn't have much time to decide so I nodded a little and said, "Oh...alright." If I just played nice, I should be alright. As the knight led me towards the entry, another stepped in front of me, followed by another. 

"We have to search you before you can enter," the one on the right stated. I didn't respond, raising my hands and watching the knights as the patted me down. They pulled out my wallet, gummy bears, knife and phone. When the one on the left reached for my necklace, I placed my hand over it.

"This isn't a weapon, it's precious to me," I said, gripping the tooth tightly. 

"Unfortunately the tooth is still considered a weapon," she said, holding her hand out expectantly. I frowned before sighing and hesitantly taking off my necklace and earrings, since those were miniature sharp claws. I placed the jewelry in her gauntlet. She nodded her thanks and stepped to the side, allowing me to continue following the first guard and trailing behind us. 

I looked around as we walked, tilting my head a bit. It seemed like they were sort of up to date on technology, but not quite if they were still using so many guards. The areas of the city I walked were teaming with knights and the like; it was incredible!

'At least I didn't run away,' I thought, rubbing my shoulder and keeping up with the knight. 'There are way too many around here!' We walked on the sidewalk past civilians, most of which looked at me in fear, confusion, and disgust. That was...weird. I saw people with my skin color, so why was I getting fearful and nasty looks? 

Ignoring their distasteful looks, I glanced around and caught sight of the castle from here. It definitely looked large up on the cliff, but that was nothing compared to being almost right around the corner from it! I felt smaller than a normally did, which was saying something since I was only around five and a half feet tall. 

The guards walked me to a large clear are surrounded by many guards and barbed wire. While the land around it seemed to be kept well, the tall building itself looked almost terrifying. It seemed to scream intimidation just by looking at it. The two knights stopped and conversed with the dozen that was stationed around the metal fence before the gate itself started sliding to the right. They walked me through to the front door, holding it open for me to step in.

The main room inside was flocking with knights headed in different directions; some in uniform, some without, and some wearing bits and pieces of it. They seemed to keep busy and walked about without giving me a single glance. To my left I saw a desk where three nicely dressed people sat, and on the other side, a seating area. I saw some people in cuffs being guarded, others with small sacks of what I could only assume were money, and others dressed in business suits. 

There were two halls, in which the two knights led me down the larger hall. At the end of it was a steel door with two knights standing there fully armored and equipped for battle. After the knight in front of me put in a pin, it opened up slowly and revealed yet another few halls. 'Great, that isn't ominous at all,' I thought, visibly wincing. The knights led me in and I noticed there was another set of knights standing on the other side of the door. When one of them looked my way, I stared at the floor intensely, gulping nervously as I kept up with the first guard. 

There were three walkways to choose from, one leading straight ahead, and the other two leading up and down. Based on the signs, it was a prison, and there were jail cells above and below me. I held my breath and balled up my hands, wondering why they were bringing me so deeply inside the prison. Did I do something wrong? Was there was border protection? What if I was just a camping traveler or a strange tourist?!

My thoughts did nothing to ease my nervousness, but it didn't seem like they were going to arrest me. I finally managed to find my voice and asked, "Where are you taking me?" 

"You will be placed in a holding area until we finish thoroughly identifying who you are," the knight ahead of me said calmly. It didn't make much sense to me since they could have looked at my ID when I was at the entrance. 

"Why hold me? I've done nothing wrong. Couldn't I just go back and sit on the benches like everyone else?" I pointed behind me, hoping he couldn't see how scared I was feeling. 

"Your presence is questionable, girl, so I suggest you keep quiet and play nice," the knight behind me said. I flinched at her tone, but the knight ahead of me sighed. 

"Must you intimidate her? She's done none but be applicable with us the entire time," he said.

"People will say or do anything to avoid authority," she simply stated. 

I slumped a little but kept walking regardless, stopping when they used a pin to open up yet another door. This door opened and revealed a holding area; a jail cell on the left and a desk on the right. There was another door to the right, but I wasn't led through it. 

The female knight approached the desk and pulled out my belonging from a small bag, placing it in a box on the desk. There was one knight who stood next to the woman sitting at the desk. She looked up at us before glancing at me, tensing up right away. In response, I tensed back. The male knight opened up the cell door and said, "If you will, miss." 

I took a deep breath and approached the jail cell, getting inside and sitting on the bench. The female knight went through my wallet and found money, my ID, and another assorted store cards and receipts. The male knight took off his helmet, revealing his brown eyes and fiery red hair. His face was rounded but thin and his expression was gentle. However, his gaze was anything but, staring me down as if he were attempting to dissect me. 

I flinched under his gaze and instead turned to look at the female. She was looking down at my ID before looking back at me. She then looked back down at it and said, "Regardless of where you come from, your ID isn't valid. That aside..." Her eyes narrowed as she stared me down through her helmet. "You aren't fooling anyone." 

"Marie," the man tried to say, but the knight held up her hand before approaching the jail cell. I tried not to lean back, but her entire demeanor almost put me into a fight or flight mode. 

"I thought it was strange for you to randomly show up, but we won't be swayed, Alulisian. You think a touch here and a contact there can hide what you truly are?" I blinked in confusion at this, wondering what the heck an Aliu-whatever was.

"Marie, it's too soon to be making accusations," the man tried to say. 

"Yeah! Uh, whatever that is, I'm not that!" I frowned a bit. "Uh...what is an Alulisian?" 

The knight did not look pleased. "Not going to fess up, are we? It's okay, I can fix that." She turned to the male and said, "Look at her nails, her jaw; you're not going to stand there and tell me she isn't one of them!" 

"You can't handle this on your own, you have to request permission from a higher rank," he replied. 

I looked between the both of them, wondering what I was being accused of. Was I an illegal immigrant? 

"If a person from Alulis just strolls in, do you think others would wait in line to get permission? No, I didn't think so, Louis. I'm not going to wait around for my superiors to tell me to do what I already know has to be done." 

"My question still wasn't answered," I said loudly, looking at the woman. "Just tell me what I'm being accused of so I can defend myself!" 

The woman ignored me, crossing her arms as the man glanced my way apologetically before looking to his partner. "We have no justifiable reason to assume that's what she is. If she was one, she wouldn't just play nice like this. Contact our superior." 

The female knight stared at him for a long minute before sighing and turning away. "Fine, but she does not leave this cell until we figure out what to do with her." Without waiting for a response, the woman left the room, leaving me with the male knight and the two on the other side of the room. 

The woman sitting at the desk took her glasses off and glanced my way. "What a fine mess you've put yourself into, eh?" 

I sighed and placed my chin on my knuckles, slumping over as I muttered, "Tell me about it." 


	2. Chapter Two

**Tallulah**

The male knight, Louis, eventually left the room and sent in two knights in his stead. I didn’t cause any trouble, not wanting to be kept in here longer than I had to. Instead, I sat in the cell, leaning up against the wall and hugging my knees to my chest. 

My stomach started growling not long after, causing the woman at the desk to sigh and say, “When was the last time you ate, girl?” 

The knight beside her turned to look at the woman in surprise, but she simply shrugged and said, “She’s behaving, so it makes little sense to treat her unfairly…if she isn’t what we believe she is.” She then reached inside the box, grabbing the gummy package and tossing it through the cell bars. I looked down at it before looking back up at her. The woman raised an eyebrow and said, “You’d better hope for your sake you’re telling the truth.”

I nodded, opening the packet and consuming the candy fairly quickly. It did little to fill my stomach and left me wanting more, but it would have to do for now. I looked up, finding my voice as I asked, “Um…who might you be?” 

She blinked before smiling softly, taking spectacles off of her face. “I’m technically a knight, but I also have the unfortunate job of taking notes and recording what happens in this holding room here. The king never pays enough, the gods bless him.” 

I nodded a little bit, waiting to see if she’d say more. When she didn’t, I went back to hugging my legs to me.

After some time, two different knights appeared in the room, followed by another three. I blinked in confusion, stiffening when I noticed most of them placing their hands over their weapons. I didn’t say anything, mostly because I was too damned scared to!

“Ms... Tallyla Nada?” one of the knights said, completely butchering my name, “I’m afraid we will have to place you in a cell for a time. You are being accused of not only crossing borders but also of fibbing your identity. We need more time to look into the matter, but until then, you are stuck with us.” 

“Are you kidding me!” I was scared at first, but now I was annoyed. I got up, causing two of the knights to openly grip their weapons. “If I had known I’d be questioned for existing, I wouldn’t have come here. Is this how you treat any outsiders?!” I threw my hands out in exasperation. 

“Ma’am, we’re merely following orders,” the knight spoke calmly. “Don’t make this harder than it has to be.” 

I balled up my hands, frowned a bit before sighing and relaxing. I couldn’t fight, especially since I was outnumbered. I needed to follow them, for now at least. One of the knights unlocked the door, pulling out his sword simply to flash it. Two others entered, one with his hand on his weapon and the other holding a pair of cuffs. 

I frowned, glancing down at the hefty pair before looking away and holding my hand. The knights jumped, and for a moment I wondered why they were so afraid of me. What was an Alulisian and why did they keep calling me that?

The knight placed the cuffs on my hands, locking them up tightly before the armed knight nudged me forward. I sighed and walked through, glancing at the knight sitting at the desk. She looked helpless and apologetic, placing her hand over my belongings before giving a small smile. 

My instincts told me that she would keep them for me, and I smiled softly in return. I then turned and followed the two knights ahead of me, noticing that the other three seemed to surround me. It seemed like they wanted to keep me from getting away. 

I looked around and for a minute contemplated running away. If I could, I’d be able to leave this city, this kingdom, and never come back. The only way out was out of the metal door, but there were two knights on one side, two on the other side, and beyond that was…so many. 

I gulped but steadied my nerves. Based on the material, it wasn’t silver and easily breakable, but I’d be pinned before I could run. The group of knights had led me to the four-way, where the knights then turned to take me upstairs. I didn’t know if that was better or worse than below, but I heard a lot more noise coming from under me. 

I heard screams, cackles, endless anger, and madness that I didn’t need to be a part of. It didn’t take a scientist to know that the worse criminals are placed underground. They walked me down the hall and to my left I saw many cells, not many of them being occupied. To my right were windows that were high up and barred heavily. 

They opened up a jail cell and nudged me inside, locking it up right after. Two knights stood at guard at the cell door while the rest left us. I sat down on the bed that was there, glancing past the windows before sighing and curling up in bed. Maybe I couldn’t get out at the moment, but I knew I’d need all my strength for later, regardless of what happened. 

I yawned softly, reaching up and wiping my eyes before curling up in the bed. The covers, while not the comfiest, was still better than the ground earlier. 

Hungry, exhausted, and just plain done, I tried my best to get comfy and fall asleep. As it turned out, that was an easy feat for me to make. 

**Kyoya** **  
  
**

I padded down the hall, my cheeks still flushed from my sister’s teasing. She, like everyone else in my life, couldn’t let things go. I had just finished helping a friend of mine go to sleep and because of that, Karina saw the need to tease me and make everything weirder than it needed to be. 

I shook my head, rubbing the top of my head as I muttered, “Gee sis…” I continued my walk, not exactly walking in any general direction, but finding that I was approaching the living room. At this time of night, I expected it to be devoid of any presence, but to my surprise I found my father standing in the middle of the room, seemingly lost in thought. 

I knocked on the door to alert him to my presence, walking in and looking up at him. “Dad, what are you doing up?” 

He looked up at me, smiling despite looking a little distressed. “And here I thought you’d be asleep by now. It isn’t anything too troublesome, son, so perhaps you should call it a night.” 

I frowned a little, raising an eyebrow. “Uh, dad, I don’t mean to disrespect, but you entered my room and dragged me into a conversation about what I’d do if I was king. I’m sure it isn’t anything I can’t handle.” 

He raised an eyebrow, smiling softly before saying, “And here I figured you were the reluctant one to get involved with a king’s problems.” I winced and held back the impulse to slap my forehead.  _ ‘I guess I kind of asked for that one.’ _ His smile soon disappeared, leaving a slight frown in its wake. He sighed and said, “I’m unsure if I should really be telling you this, but the royal knights from the entrance believe they’ve captured a civilian from Alulis.” 

I immediately felt my body tense, looking at him in slight shock. “Wait, at the front border? Were there more?” 

“No,” he replied, “just one. A girl, they said, asking where she was. One of the knights wandering the border noticed her running downhill from the direction of the mountain.”

I frowned, deciding to sit down on the couch. “Wait, from the mountains? That doesn’t make sense if she’s from Alulis, does it?” 

“No,” my father replied after a moment. “After being told she had to follow them to the headquarters, she simply followed them. The girl has been giving us no problems whatsoever, which is…troublesome, to say the least.” 

I leaned back, puffing out my cheeks. “She didn’t attack or make a scene? Do you think this is another move the king is making?” 

“If so, it won’t work,” he replied coolly, turning to me and giving me a reassuring smile. “To start a war is foolish and to send out others to attack our citizens would be more so. Something does not add up, so I plan on having the guards bring her here so I can interrogate her myself.” 

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?” I asked, already becoming somewhat concerned for my family. The Alulisian wasn’t attacking anyone, sure, but that did not mean she was safe to yank all over the place. My father must have seen the concern clear on my face because he placed his hand on my shoulder. 

“As of now, I am not fully sure of what kind of situation I am dealing with. However, I do not need you to worry about it.” He gave my shoulder a gentle squeeze before retracting his hand. “Now, you really should go to bed, son. We will deal with the girl tomorrow, but tonight is your night to relax and enjoy turning sixteen.” 

I nodded a little, standing slowly and sighing. I wished there was more I could say to help dad out, but the whole situation seemed too unfamiliar for me to have any input. After nodding to him, I turned to leave the living room.

“Oh, and son?” I turned around to face him and waited for him to speak. He stared at me for a moment before smiling wider than he did before. “Happy birthday.” Unable to help myself, I smiled wide and turned to leave, shutting the living room doors behind me. 

I started walking back down the hall, glancing out the windows beside me. I knew dad could handle the situation on his own, but a part of me still felt unsure about all of it. What if the king really did send someone to make a mess from the inside out?

It didn’t seem feasible, but the thought wouldn’t leave my mind. Just the thought of him attempting to weaken our forces to hurt us made me uneasy. Everything about him was a terrifying experience in itself and I never wanted my siblings to experience what I and my friends did. 

I frowned a little and sighed softly. “Kyoya, don’t think about it. Just let your father handle this.” I wasn’t going to intervene…yet. I wanted to let him handle it first. But if push came to shove, I wasn’t about to let my family and friends become endangered by an Alulisian again, even if this one was playing nice. 

But for now… “Ugh, I didn’t think my sleeping arrangements through,” I muttered, shaking my head. I guess I had to go searching for a place to sleep now. 

**Tallulah**

It was T who woke me up, roaring in my head, and startling me awake. I didn’t jump up, however, looking around nervously before sighing quietly. I was still stuck in the cell and probably would be until morning. 

She didn’t like that. I frowned; trying to keep her relaxed enough so she wouldn’t make me make a scene. The knights seemed to be still on their guard, but they weren’t glancing my way anymore like they were before. I sat up and stretched, yawning. 

This caused one of the knights to glance at me, which meant if I made any noise, their eyes would immediately be on me. It didn’t matter; I planned on going back to sleep anyway. T wasn’t having it, already urging me to do things that would get me in trouble. 

I held back the urges, the desire to be free, and took a deep breath. I’d be alright, I just had to wait. 

_ ‘No!’ _

I flinched but forced myself to stay seated, trying to mentally remind Her that we’d be in severe trouble. And yet, She persisted. I could feel my claws threatening to grow out more, balling up my hands to keep myself centered.  _ ‘I can’t. We have to wait.’ _

_ ‘We must be free! I don’t want to be caged any longer!’ _

I shuddered, feeling my spine already try to crack and shift. I couldn’t hold Her back in my weakened state. Still, I persisted. I had to. The longer I put up a fight, the weaker my will became. I started breathing unevenly, gripping my forehead as I pushed and pushed and pushed Her back. 

I faintly noticed one of the knights turning my way, but I couldn’t respond to him if he had said anything to me. My sight was becoming blurred, darkening as She tried to put me under. “Please stop,” I pleaded, gasping in pain when an aching feeling increased all over my back. I crumbled to the floor, curling up and whimpering in pain. 

“Hey!” The knight called out to me. 

I heard the gate being unlocked and cried out. “No, stay back!” Another wave of pain hit me, causing me to arch and all but scream. The knight had placed his hand on my arm which caused more pain for me. I reacted by grabbing his arm with both hands and yanking him to me, slamming my leg into his stomach. I sent him flying, causing him to hit the bars of my prison.

The other knight came in, pulling out twin blades as he shouted, “Stand down!” 

I got to my feet, ducking fast enough just as he tried to swing at me! I could have gotten hurt, more than hurt with his aim, but I was in too much pain to think. She was moving for me, defending for me, even as I turned around enough to elbow his neck and slam him up against the wall. 

I turned around just as the other knight stood to his feet, pulling out his sword. There was something odd happening to it; rubble seemed to build around it before he aimed it at me. “Last chance, Alulisian! Get on your knees or I’ll make you!” 

“I’m not that!” I shouted, dodging when he outstretched both his sword and hand at me, yanking the bed from the ground and swinging it my way. I jumped through the bunks, turning to charge him only to be elbowed up against my stomach. He pinned me to the wall as an alarm went off. 

“You should know better than to fight a Zephryian, savage!” he growled, beginning to choke me as he pressed up against my throat. I struggled, slipping for only a moment and giving Her enough control. My fangs grew, my claws became longer, and in a fit of blinding rage and desperation, my hands split the cuffs in half. 

I immediately punched him hard enough to make him stumbled backward, but I didn’t stop, couldn’t stop moving by instinct. I jumped up, kicking him with both feet and sending him flying so hard into the prison bars that he went  _ through _ them. 

My orange eyes glowed brightly as I growled, stalking towards him to finish the job only to pause when I heard footsteps racing upstairs. I looked up at the window and went for it, clawing at the bars and yanking them out with ease. The area was barely big enough for me to fit through, but I managed to get out, clawing the side of the wall as I used my arms to keep myself up. 

I then climbed to the top of the building with haste, hearing the blaring alarms outreach all of the building, and then some. I made it to the top, breathing unevenly as I leaned over, feeling more animalistic than human. 

A light immediately shined in my direction from below and in an instant I knew they could see me. I looked away from the light, feeling more panicky than I had earlier; it hit me then and there that I’d done something that couldn’t be overlooked. 

I was the enemy now, no thanks to Her. This was…far from good. 

As I watched multiple knights use different elements to lift them to the top of the building, I sighed heavily and took several steps back. 

“Well this is a nice mess you’ve put us in,” I muttered weakly.

**Devina**

The faint sound of a horn tore through my dreams, stirring me awake, albeit barely. I groaned softly, finding that it was better not to get up. It’s funny though…shouldn’t the blaring have stopped by now? I sat up and looked about, finding that I was alone in Kyoya’s room. 

_ ‘The one time I’m not plagued with nightmares…’ _ The horn continued to scream out and I sighed, wincing as my body protested any movement I made. Still, I was too curious about the sound! I got out of bed and moved to the window, nudging the curtains to the side. The royal knight headquarters was lit up in the distance and there seemed to be some kind of commotion going on. 

I heard someone run by Kyoya’s door and turned, slowly making my way to the door. I cracked it open and heard voices on the other end. I frowned, focusing my hearing to listen in. 

“She broke free.” I heard King Daniel speak, frowning in confusion. 

“The girl? Oh no!” That sounded like Queen Kassi. This only confused me more! “Daniel, we have to capture her immediately! Have you heard anything from the border patrol?” 

“No,” Daniel replied, “nothing from them or any others. It is just this Alulisian and her alone.” I held my breath and took a step back. One of my own was here? When and better yet, why? I wanted to go out and find her, but that would raise too many questions. My legs still felt heavy and my body just couldn’t handle any pressure in general. 

“What does this mean? Was she to simply make a commotion to prove yet another point?” Kassi asked, worry laced in her voice. 

“I am not sure, my love. All I know for now is that she needs to be captured. You should go back to sleep and allow me to handle this,” the king spoke, his voice taking a gentler tone.

“I cannot sleep, not until this is over,” the queen replied, sounding more upset by the minute.

I glanced back out at the window, feeling an unknown fear wash over me. If she was here, does that mean she was sent by the King? Did he find out the true reason behind my escape? I held my breath and tried to steady my nerves, but this girl, whoever she was, kept me from relaxing. 

There was nothing I could do for now. I had to sleep if I wanted to have any kind of strength tomorrow. Despite slipping back in the sheets, I didn’t think I could fall asleep, especially with the prison alarm still going off. 

And I was right. I couldn’t, too worried about her presence. I only hoped that they’d capture her soon enough.

**Tallulah** **  
  
**

One of the knights aimed for me, water racing from the side of his body with the intent to push me off the roof. Instead of trying to dodge, I let the rush of water hit me, shoving me off the roof. I spun around, riding the waves until there was none left, my claws sharpening even more than before as I slammed them onto the side of the building to stop my fall.

I released some of the pressure on the wall, however, allowing me to slide down and create long claw marks along the metal wall. When someone threw fireballs at me, I let go entirely and started to freefall, barely dodging the fire and looking up to see knights falling down after me. 

I shoved myself up against the wall before pushing myself off of it, slamming into the knights and using one of them to further push me away from the building. I hit the ground running, dodging elements attempting to hit or capture me. They were really trying to kill me! “This is why we don’t try and shift in a prison cell!” I shouted.

I screamed as spikes made out of rock shot up from the ground, backing up and barely dodging a knight when his blade aimed to cut me. Another took advantage of this, slicing my arm when I barely managed to move out of his way. 

“Hey, hey, hey!” I landed a punch on one of the knights and slammed him into the other, gunning for the gate as several knights closed in on me. One of the knights ahead of me had a spear and swung it at me when I got close enough. I slid under him, grabbing the edge of the spear and yanking it with me, flipping him onto his back. 

I held onto the spear, looking up at the gate and noticed sparks flying and trailing along with the metal. “An electric fence?! Really?!” I huffed and aimed the spear, slamming it onto the ground hard and bending it unnaturally. 

I let it go one my foot was on it, barely sending me over the fence. I sucked in a breath and gripped the top of the metal fence, screaming as the electricity surged through me. Tears sprang from my eyes but I managed to push myself over the fence, falling down and barely managing to pick myself up. 

The knights were hot on my trail and I couldn’t slow down, not now! I ran, biting back a whimper as my body screamed in protest. T wasn’t having it either, refusing to let me stop even if I wanted to. I climbed up a nearby building, using it to propel me to the next one, and then the next one, narrowly avoiding attacks from the royal knights. 

“Surrender!” One of them shouted, throwing a blade my way. I caught it, and kept it, sucking in a breath when one caught up and kicked me in the stomach. I slammed up against the building, going through the wall and falling onto my back. Two knights entered and attempted to pin me, but I caught one of their hands, throwing them up against the wall and elbowing the other knight through her armor. The metal didn’t hurt, but it probably did for her, especially when I jumped to grab the hanging light from above me, swinging and kicking her out of the open wall. 

The other knight got up as she went through but I didn’t hesitate to grab a nearby chair, sending him stumbling as I smashed it against him. I screamed and tackled him, shoving both of us through the wall before wiping the dust from my face, running and exiting through a closed window. 

The glass shattered everywhere and even a few shards stuck to my skin, but I couldn’t linger on it, grabbing the rail of the outside stairs, dropping onto the ground, and taking off again. I pulled the shards out, throwing one at a knight when he got too close. He lifted up his shield, giving me an opening. I took it, jumping on top of him and reaching for the side of the wall, heaving myself up onto the top of it. 

They were relentless! Too many of them were still after me, and I was too weak to keep fighting them. My eyes caught a patch of woods I could hide in, and so I aimed for there, gunning for it once more. I continued to dodge their attacks, albeit barely, reaching the outskirts of the forest. Water, fire, ice; every element I could think of was being thrown at me, but with sheer luck, I managed to avoid most of it. 

The moment my hand touched the bark of a tree, I snarled and heaved myself up on the tree, moving faster, using the trees to propel me ahead and away from them. I gained some distance from them, moving farther and farther into the forest. Their shouts became quieter and the flashlights no longer lit the way. 

The wounds on my arms and legs slowly healed, leaving me with a simple headache and body ache that came from getting electrocuted. She felt more relaxed, relinquishing the hold on my body and giving me full control for a minute. Still, I didn’t stop, continuing to bury myself further into the woods. 

A smile came over my face as I inhaled the fresh air, ignoring the pain that came from my lungs. I finally felt free all over again!

For all of a minute

My foot tripped and I fell, crying out when my ribs hit up against a branch before falling down, rolling downhill before I felt nothing under me. A scream was caught in my throat before something sharp hit me in the back of my head, pulling me into a painless dark soon after.

**Daniel** **  
  
**

“She escaped, sir.” 

I turned around, frowning at the knight standing before me. “What do you mean?”

“We followed her across town but lost sight of her once she entered the woods, sir.” The knight shifted nervously, waiting for me to respond. 

I sighed and rubbed my forehead. “All this trouble over some little girl… Send search parties out that way and find her.” I did not shout, but there was an edge to my voice that I knew the knight caught. 

“Right away, sir!” He bowed before rushing off, leaving me alone in my study. I frowned hard, my jaw ticking as I tried to keep my cool. I knew that the Alulisian was not here for any reason, but I was not expecting her to break out in the middle of the night. 

I sighed loudly and raked my hair back, stifling a yawn before muttering, “Right, I forgot sleep was a necessity.” Still, as much as I wanted to call it a night, I needed to be awake for when they found her...if they found her. She could be miles away from the city at this point, but I needed to make sure of that. 

I almost jumped out of my skin when I felt someone wrap their arms around me, smiling softly as I tilted my head. “Kassi dear, didn’t I say you should be sleeping?” 

“The lack of your presence in the bed we share does things to me,” she replied sleepily. She leaned up and kissed my cheek. “Why are you still up my love?” 

“Our guard failed to capture the girl,” I muttered, sighing loudly. “I cannot believe a simple girl outwitted so many knights in such a short time.” 

“I hope they will find her,” Kassi replied quietly, hugging me tightly. 

“I’m sure they will,” I replied, turning to hold my wife properly. I wrapped my arms around her, kissing her gently as I muttered, “For now, you need to go back to bed.”

“Not until you come with me,” she replied, smiling sweetly. I sighed, placing my forehead on her shoulder as I held her close. She was to be the death of me, but I wasn’t sure I fully minded that. Her smell was already lulling me to sleep, and I nodded faintly. 

“Alright love…just for a few hours.” 

**Kyoya** ****  
  


I crept away from my father’s study, holding my breath until I was a distance away. I know my dad told me to sleep, but after the alarms and eavesdropping on my parents talking, I knew sleep wouldn’t come any time soon. 

I couldn’t believe it; she actually escaped! At first, I was hesitant in getting involved, but now that she’s out and about running, I knew I had to do something about it. I wasn’t about to be dead weight while my dad stressed over it.

I would not be surprised if my friends were reluctant to help me find and capture the girl, especially since our adventure across the Alulis border. Still, a part of me was hoping they’d be willing to help. 

“Someone’s out of bed early.” 

I almost jumped out of my skin, looking up at my siblings. “Klaus, Karina-!” 

“Shhh!” Karina placed her finger to her mouth. “Easy brother, we aren’t here you rat you out. Yet.” She frowned and crossed her arms. “I saw you sneaking in on our parents’ conversation. That’s becoming an awful habit of yours.” 

Klaus nodded before looking at me seriously. “You gotta tell me how to do that.” 

“Klaus!” Karina hissed, smacking my brother upside his head. I giggled a little before going quiet and tensing up when Karina turned to look at me. “Well? What did they say? Was the girl captured?” 

I sighed and shook my head. “No, and dad is losing sleep over it already. I feel awful just standing by and not being able to help. He told mom that the girl ran into the forest and that they lost sight of her soon after.” 

“Well, even though it isn’t your birthday yet, it still counts, so you don’t need to be worrying about things like this,” Klaus stated, rubbing the side of his head. “Just let us handle finding her, alright?” 

I hesitated and they noticed. Karina smiled softly and said, “Look, if you’re so concerned about finding her, go get some sleep now, and the three of us can go looking for her in the morning. It doesn’t make sense to stay up and lose rest over it, and besides, the less sleep you have, the less likely you’ll be able to track her down.” 

I hated it, but I knew she was right. “Alright, sis… you guys are going to bed too, riiiight?” I looked at them expectantly, causing Klaus to grin. 

“Me? Sleep?” He puffed his chest out and said, “I think I’m good.” 

“Like hell you are,” Karina muttered, rolling her eyes. “You’ll be complaining about the entire trip. We should ALL get some sleep.” 

Klaus pouted and I turned around, rolling my eyes as well before padding back to the guest room to sleep. Karina was right about me needing sleep, but already I felt ready to go out and find her. I was happy in knowing that if my friends did not want to be involved, my siblings would at least help me.

Though excited, I slipped under the covers and forced my brain to calm soon. The sirens outside had since stopped, so it was easier to drift off to sleep. “Tomorrow,” I thought sleepily, closing my eyes.

_ ‘Tomorrow we’d capture her.’ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, I update slow and juggle a lot of different projects at once. Hope you enjoy!


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